atlasmb Professor Henry Barnes (Edmund Gwenn) is writing his final book. His life offers nothing else that warrants living. The curmudgeon is counting down his last days when he meets Peggy Taylor (Jeanne Crain), an exuberant, positive-thinking young wife, pregnant with her first child. She mystifies the professor with her younger generation jive, but he is intrigued despite himself. Before he knows it, their lives are intertwined.Peggy's husband, Jason (William Holden), is a student under the G.I. Bill--dedicated to his goal of becoming a teacher, though there are shorter paths to better money.The professor's life is anchored in the past, with his nostalgia and memories of his deceased wife. In contrast, Peggy's life is focused on the future, with dreams for her first child and her husband's career. Though the professor's field of study is philosophy, he finds that Peggy is a natural philosopher, focusing on the virtues of tolerance and kindness.The story, adapted from a novel, is well written. The film packs a lot of ideas into its running time. It's celebration of teaching and learning reminds me of "Born Yesterday", which Holden appears in two years later.The film has a horrible (and boring) title, but "Apartment for Peggy" might remind some viewers of "It's a Wonderful Life", with its affirmation of life and the value of good deeds.One year before this film, another Christmas classic, "Miracle on 34th Street", also starred Edmund Gwenn. George Seaton, the director of this film, wrote both films.

vincentlynch-moonoi I really wasn't expecting much from this film; the description sounded rather mundane. But what I discovered was a film with more depth than one might expect, and it's utterly charming.It's the story of a retired college professor (Edmund Gwenn) who, after he finishes his book, is going to commit suicide. Then, as it is right after the war, Peggy (Jeanne Crain) and her husband (William Holden) comes into the professors life as she sort of forces their way (in an innocent way) into his attic as a temporary apartment. Essentially, the film is about them becoming a family.While Jeanne Crain is billed as star, along with William Holden, make no mistake, this is very much Edmund Gwenn's film. It's just a year after his wonderful role as Santa Claus in "Miracle On 34th Street", and although that is his signature film, I'm not sure that he isn't even better here. Jeanne Crain is Peggy, of course, but she seems different here...not sure quite how to explain it. But she is as lovely and wholesome as ever. William Holden doesn't have much to do in the first half of the film, but has more scenes in the latter half of the movie. The supporting actors all do their parts satisfactorily, but none get enough screen time worth mentioning...although you'll recognize some favorite faces in the character actors (including Gene Lockhart).The gist of the story, in a sense, is how people cope with the everyday issues of their lives. It's really quite charming and tells you quite a bit about post World War II America and college. Recommended.

NancyKM I watched this twice on cable. I really liked the contrasts. I loved the way the young students respected the professors and elders in general, and co-existed with them -- not just barely tolerated them. Also, just simple common sense was so pleasant to see. No "major plot twists" with contrived "stupidity". By stupidity, I mean the typical, "such as turning your back on a bad guy", or when teens are in a house that has a known killer in it, and the kids decide to split-up to find him, and then get picked off one at a time. Needless to say, there is no "bad guy" or "killer" in this movie, but there are a couple of things that happen, and common sense not only wins out, but was also present from the beginning. Also, the hardship of a housing shortage just after World War II versus the desire for a college education. Despite that obstacle and other obstacles, these "young" adults were adult about overcoming their problems, most of the time. Also, I liked that Peggy established a lecture (series?) for the wives of students when she discovered that many wives felt left out of their husbands lives due to lack of formal education. The women weren't dumb, just hadn't been exposed to the same ideas. And a note to teens of today, yes, there was a time that many students were husbands/men and wives were in a secondary position. I found the movie very uplifting, amusing and well acted.

LomzaLady This is a very sweet film, with wonderful performances. It tells a simple story of the GIs returning from WWII, eager to marry, start families, and "make something of themselves." Aside from being very entertaining, this film is a useful as an indication of the American mindset after that war. Working class men were given the opportunity to attend college for free on the GI Bill of Rights, and their wives also wanted to benefit from the educational experience they probably could not have even dreamed of having only five years earlier. The film tosses off messages of freedom, equality and democracy almost casually in the discussions the characters have among themselves. My favorite scenes are first, in the laundromat, where a painting of women at the riverside beating their clothing on rocks is prominently displayed; and then the first session of the wives' informal philosophy class, wherein the women get so excited to be exchanging ideas about the world's great thinkers and, ultimately, come up with some great ideas of their own. In its own small way, this is a groundbreaking film.